User blog comment:Bluestripe the Wild/Rise of the Mercenaries/@comment-3135907-20110803172543

Aboard the Black Skrab, somebeast has dropped a lantern, or left oil on the deck and it has caught during the fighting, but whatever the circumstance, the ship has burst into roaring flames. The timbers crackle and lines of rigging collapse on top of fighting beasts like nets. The sails smoulder with the heat and sparks fly all over. The stern lanterns are eaten by the fire and the inside of the cabin is filled with thick smoke. Raggat and Skidder, two searats, leap after the escaping Skrab, who has sneaked through the crowd and now burst into a full gallop for the rail. Raggat brings his fully loaded sling down at Skrab's head, and Skidder swings his scimitar at the fleeing searat. Skrab at last makes it to the rail and leaps over it, but is caught in the air, hanging in mid jump. Skidder triumphantly grins at him whilst tugging on his tail. But Skrab won't be defeated that easily! He pulls out a knife and cuts off the tip of his tail and plummets into the sea. Skidder is left with a tailtip and nothing more, staring flabbergasted at the searat who so easily escaped death. "Hoi! Thrid! Sharky! Git me aboard!" Skrab hollers at the top of his lungs to the beasts aboard Thridwake. But he is greeted by a sight that fills him with fear. A weasel is leaning casually on the side of the skiff. "Welcome aboard, mate," he says. With that he lunges for Skrab and ends up in the water, splashing around fighting with a scrap of the searat's jerkin in the dark. Skrab climbs aboard his own boat and unties Thrid and Sharky. "Haha! Look at 'im go!" he says watching the weasel tussling with the jerkin. then the weasel realizes he's been tricked, though, and things don't go well for Skrab, Thrid and Sharky as Skidder, Raggat, Tarbag, Slaggo, Gullid, Fligat and Stilgor leap into the water and swim for his little skiff. Then he sees someone else within their numbers: A member of his own crew from Sampetra that had disappeared awhile back, Searg. The rat winks at him and continues swimming, but strangely enough the beast beside him gives a gasp and disappears in a pool of blood. This goes unnoticed by his companions and the continue swimming. Skrab snatches Thrid's curvy sword and prepares to do battle with the oncoming enemy, which continues to grow as more and more crewbeasts join the attackers. Skidder leaps aboard and yells to Raggat as he takes on Skrab with his scimitar, "Take the others, I'll deal with this un!"
 * "Right, Ski-" Raggat falls back into the water, slain. Tarbag and another stoat named Loopoil leap aboard and challenge Sharky and Thrid with waving sword and cutlass. Sharky, who has been devoid of any weapons, grabs a dirk and joins Thrid, who has grabbed a spear and an old rotted roundshield. Tarbag slashes at Thrid's shield, and the searat throws it at Tarbag, who falls backward from the force of the shield hitting him in the face. Thrid now grips his spear with both paws and thrusts down at anybeast attempting to board the Thridwake. Then they all stop as the Black Skrab gives a harsh groan and a splintering sound as it rolls over on its side in the shallows, minus a mizzenmast. Sharky stabs at Loopoil now, and the fight begins again.